IN HUMAN Synonyms: 209 Similar and Opposite Words

inhuman

adjective

(ˌ)in-ˈhyü-mən

Definition of inhuman

as in oppressive

difficult to endure kept the prisoners in criminally inhuman conditions

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in ruthless

having or showing a lack of sympathy or tender feelings an inhuman indifference to the sufferings of other human beings

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in brutal

having or showing the desire to inflict severe pain and suffering on others a classic sociological study showing just how inhuman an individual can become when given absolute power over another

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of inhuman Despite trying to break glass, rip through the foundation, and forcibly remove the door, something of the supernatural or at least thoroughly inhuman sort is keeping them inside. — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 7 Aug. 2026 The State Department had designated and sanctioned Ghezel Hesar Prison in 2024 for gross human rights violations and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of prisoners. — Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 29 July 2026 Federal authorities have subjected record numbers of immigrants to mandatory detention, including in inhuman and degrading conditions, while gutting internal oversight mechanisms. — Minky Worden, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026 Microsoft noted last month that its bumper crop of patches—which almost reached the current record—was the result of AI’s ability to automatically ferret out security vulnerabilities at inhuman speeds. — Andy Greenberg, Wired News, 13 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for inhuman

Recent Examples of Synonyms for inhuman

Adjective

The investigation into Toro follows a complaint from Bigelow that alleges the workplace culture under Toro’s leadership is characterized as oppressive, bullying and fearful, according to the complaint.

— Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 20 Sep. 2026
In its opening episodes, the series carefully distinguishes Lizzie from her male killer counterparts while highlighting the oppressive conditions women faced in the era.

— Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of oppressive

Adjective

Joe has always been ruthless, but never quite as tunnel-visioned in her motivations.

— Andy Andersen, Vulture, 20 Sep. 2026
Therefore, if Question 3 passes in this fall’s elections, Annapolis Democrats will forever be able to engage in ruthless gerrymandering to ensure that Maryland never elects another Republican or independent to Congress.

— Chris West, Baltimore Sun, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of ruthless

Adjective

Horror films and increasingly brutal crime stories reveal the very large market for the subject.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026
McKinley stages a few bullet-sweating sequences of peril, including a particularly brutal transport of gold bars across a crumbling rope bridge and an underwater accident exacerbated by floating logs.

— Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of brutal

Adjective

The video, and Ovechkin’s subsequent statements, have sparked harsh criticism in Europe, the United States and Canada, which is part of the NHL.

— Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 19 Sep. 2026
Beyond biological and nuclear threats, AI companies face harsh organizational incentives to develop AI even faster and — experts say — more recklessly.

— Jared Perlo, NBC news, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of harsh

Adjective

Cora, the granddaughter of a woman kidnapped from West Africa and sold into slavery, flees her captor’s plantation, plunging her into the book’s alternate steampunk reality where she is pursued by the merciless slave catcher Ridgeway.

— David Faris, TheWeek, 16 Sep. 2026
But the movie very much belongs to Trinca and Bruni Tedeschi, just as Anna belongs to the merciless stranger.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of merciless

Adjective

Bronwyn’s mother, Muzzy, who was lambasted all of last season for being cold and arguably cruel to her daughter, is notably softer in her first scene back — though the bob is as cunty as ever.

— Tom Smyth, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2026
He was convicted of four counts of war crimes including murder, torture, cruel treatment and arbitrary detention.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of cruel

Adjective

North of the Thai capital Bangkok, rice farmers like 55-year-old Boonmark Marksuuk are already facing tough choices.

— EDNA TARIGAN, Arkansas Online, 23 Sep. 2026
Zahnd, first elected in 2002, had a career defined by high-profile cases and solidified Platte County’s tough-on-crime reputation.

— Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of tough

Adjective

Oscar Wilde, for example, reposes beneath a hulking deity whose iconoclastic castration, back in 1961, did little to restrain pilgrims seeking to smear red lips across his stony physique.

— Emily Cox, ARTnews.com, 22 May 2026
Instead of looking like a sleek urban loft, the room can quickly start to feel cold, stony, and impersonal.

— Natasha Bazika, Martha Stewart, 9 May 2026